Best Buy Bets on a Windows 8 Boost.

The consumer electronics giant is attempting to reinvent itself after sales and profits fell for eight of the last nine quarters at stores open at least 14 months. The shrinking personal computer market, under siege from sales of tablets and smartphones, is a factor in Best Buy’s sales decline. In hopes of capitalizing on Windows 8, the Richfield, Minn., chain has spent millions in the last few months training front-line workers to offer better, more knowledgeable support to customers — including 50,000 hours of training to educating employees on the complicated new facets of the Windows 8 operating system.

Best Buy’s bet is that the wide variety of digital gadgets that will use Windows 8, and the new system’s unfamiliar features (which are already generating a fair amount of skeptical chatter), will push customers to shop where they can see the products, and have them explained and customized by another human being.

(The WSJ’s Walt Mossberg discusses Windows 8 in this video: )

Alan Rifkin, retail analyst at Barclays Bank PLC is skeptical that Windows 8 will produce much of a lift for retailers such as Best Buy. He makes his case in this report.

In summary, Mr. Rifkin says previous launches of Microsoft operating systems have not prompted a big surge in business for bricks and mortar retailers.

“This is not the new Apple iPhone with people lining up for the new product,” Mr. Rifkin said. “What typically happens is that businesses will buy it, people will get comfortable with it and then they will buy it.” Mr. Rifkin expects Best Buy’s comparative store sales for the current quarter to be between negative 3%-4%. Mr. Rifkin has more bearish comments on Windows 8 after the jump: